Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Clayton rushed outside—and was stunned to see a familiar middle-aged figure standing at his door. "Uncle Henry? How are you? Please, come in," Clayton said reflexively. But he immediately regretted the invitation. He’d forgotten that his dog was still undergoing a mysterious transformation inside the house. Henry gave a faint smile and shook his head, wearing his usual melancholic expression. "No need, Clayton. I just came to deliver a message. Don’t trouble yourself." Clayton let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, out of politeness, he insisted. "Come on, Uncle. Just for a moment..." "No, no. I’m actually in a bit of a rush," Henry replied quickly. Seeing his firm refusal, Clayton nodded and didn’t press further. But before they could speak more, a sudden flash of blinding light burst from inside the house. Clayton froze, unable to believe his eyes. He glanced at Henry, who looked just as shocked. That alone confirmed the light wasn’t just in his imagination. A mix of curiosity and anxiety stirred in Clayton’s chest. Henry also looked confused, though he refrained from asking—afraid it might come off as rude. After a brief, awkward silence, they exchanged stiff smiles. "So... Uncle Henry, what was it you wanted to tell me?" Henry snapped back to the matter at hand. "Your father’s old friends are planning a gathering before the New Year. While organizing it, we thought of him—and of you. We realized we haven’t done much to support you lately, so we’d like to invite you. Everyone wants to apologize for being too busy and not checking in on you." Clayton was touched. "Oh no, Uncle. You’ve all done plenty already! Just having you nearby has given me peace of mind here in Sunlight City. I don’t want to be ungrateful—or a burden." Henry gave a slow nod, understanding what Clayton meant. He knew their group was the shield Clayton’s father had left behind. As long as they stood by him, no gang would dare cause trouble—unless Clayton started it himself. "So, will you come?" Henry asked, just to be sure. Clayton was about to answer when loud noises from inside interrupted him. Crash! Bang! Clayton’s worry deepened. Henry looked curious, though he tried to hide it. Seeing the curiosity in Henry’s eyes, Clayton became momentarily suspicious. But he quickly reminded himself that curiosity was only natural. "Maybe I’ve been dealing with shady people so much lately that I’ve gotten paranoid," he thought. To lighten the mood, Clayton gave a fake little cough. "Eh... sorry, Uncle. My dog’s a bit naughty," he said awkwardly. Henry looked unsure whether to believe him. But right then, a series of frantic howls and barks erupted from the house—perfectly backing up Clayton’s claim. "Haha! That must be Dingo, huh? That skinny yellow dog’s got a lot of energy!" Henry laughed. "Haha, yeah... that’s him." "So, what do you say? Will you come?" Henry asked again. Clayton nodded firmly. "Of course! I’ll be there." "Good! Your uncles will be happy to hear that." Clayton was about to continue the conversation when another loud bang! echoed from inside the house. Both men turned at once, their faces tense. The sound had clearly come from within Clayton’s home. Then came a joyful howl from a dog—as if proudly celebrating some great achievement. "Damn it, what kind of bone could mess Dingo up this badly?" Clayton muttered, torn between concern and curiosity. Henry frowned, deep in thought. Clayton realized he had to end this quickly. "Alright, Uncle. I’ll definitely be there. Sorry, my dog seems to be causing a bit of chaos. I need to check on him—just in case something’s wrong." Henry nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, go on. I’d be worried too if I were you." "I’ll head in now." "Alright then. I’ll take my leave—I’ve got a few things to deal with." Henry walked off, still wearing a face full of doubt, while Clayton hurried back inside. He shut the door and windows tightly, afraid someone might witness anything strange. But once inside, Dingo was nowhere to be seen. What he found instead was total chaos—shattered glass, holes in the floor and walls, and destruction everywhere. Clayton froze. Had Dingo gone completely mad? He began searching the entire house, but came up empty. "Damn it! Where the hell is that crazy dog?!" he shouted in frustration. He scoured every corner, flipping furniture and peering into every nook and cranny. Still no sign. Just when he was beginning to lose hope, the ground beneath him suddenly trembled. Clayton panicked, thinking it was an earthquake. He bolted toward the door. But halfway there, a familiar yellow dog burst out from underground. Clayton’s eyes widened. He rubbed them, certain he was hallucinating—but even through the sting, the figure remained. The dog dove back into the ground, then emerged again, gliding smoothly as if surfing. Clayton was stunned. Dingo was surfing through dirt and stone—as if the earth were water! As the shock began to wear off, Clayton finally managed to ask: "Dingo... what the hell is going on?" Dingo let out a soft bark, then dove back underground, returning moments later with the remains of the bone from the statue Clayton had once found. "So this is what’s behind all this?" Clayton asked. Dingo whimpered and nodded. Clayton stared at the bone. "What even is this thing? What kind of bone can change you like this?" Dingo tilted his head, clearly just as confused. Clayton inspected it more closely. It looked like some kind of lizard bone—but from what kind of creature, he had no clue. Still, he couldn’t hide his amazement. With that bone, Dingo could now help him more. "Alright," he muttered, locking eyes with Dingo. "So... what else can you do?" Dingo barked enthusiastically, then dove into the earth again. Moments later, small rocks flew toward Clayton—but none of them hit him. Dingo leapt back out. Clayton was impressed. "Incredible! Can you throw harder?" Dingo nodded and manipulated the stones around him. Bang! Bang! Fist-sized rocks zipped through the air, striking in all directions. At last, Clayton understood the source of the chaos in his house. Turns out, Dingo didn’t even need to be underground to control the stones. "Smart boy! Come on, show me more!" Dingo barked excitedly and dove again with a graceful leap. Clayton waited eagerly, eyes fixed on the ground. But as the minutes ticked by, Dingo didn’t return. At first, Clayton stayed calm. But the longer he waited, the more anxious he became. "Damn it... why isn’t he coming back?" Panic crept in. "Dingo! Come out! Dingo!" He shouted, calling over and over. But there was no movement. "Did he get stuck? Or maybe he’s still not used to it? Or—what if he suffocated?!" Dark thoughts flooded Clayton’s mind. All he could do now... was wait. Helpless—and growing more worried by the second. The earth was quiet again. Too quiet. And Clayton could do nothing but wait... and hope.